Our Dream Honeymoon to South East Asia
Even though Corey and I have been dating since childhood (OK slight exaggeration, but pretty close) we really never had the opportunity to travel much because we spent so many years of our relationship travelling to see each other due to our careers. So when it came time to plan our honeymoon, we wanted to go BIG.
I wanted the south of France, maybe Italy… so romantic right? Corey wanted to go to South East Asia. I must admit, at the time, I was like WHAT? That’s not romantic!? But boy was I hella wrong. And thank God I happened to mention it to a friend because she happened to spend her honeymoon in that part of the world, claiming it was “the best trip of her LIFE”. And that was saying a lot because she travels for work, and has been all over the world. So, with my new found appreciation and knowledge, Corey and I decided to take the road less travelled (thanks to the help of friends Danielle & Randall).
We booked through Smiling Albino, and they created a custom trip of a lifetime.
First stop was Bangkok, and it was important to try to get on their time zone ASAP, so we fought through the jet lag and walked through various neighbourhoods followed by some great local food, cocktails in unique places and an interesting visit through market areas and historical districts. After we walked through the busy streets, we hoped on a tuk tuk, which was an incredible way to see the city – I’d highly recommend doing it this way (it’s also SUPER HOT there, so the breeze was a Godsend!).
The next day we saw Bangkok in a multi-transport adventure. We visited The Erawan Shrine, The Golden Mount at Wat Saket, The Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho and saw the canals of Bangkok to see how a quarter of Bangkokians live along the canals. We did this by a private longtail boat (like the ones you’ve seen in James Bond).
That evening, we went to dinner in the sky at a restaurant called Vertigo. It had the most breathtaking views of the city, and the food was amazing!
From Bangkok, we made our way North to Chiang Rai, staying at Anantara Golden Triangle, which overlooks three countries, and partners with an elephant camp that rescues and cares for elephants from all over Thailand.
Each morning we enjoyed breakfast with a baby elephant (this is not a joke, we even got to feed her – she LOVED watermelon!). We also learned about their biology, behaviour and conservation with interactive activities conducted by their resident elephant experts. We went to their camp and learned the basics of being a Thai mahout (elephant keeper). We then had the privilege of riding the elephants and took them to the river for a cool drink and a well deserved shower.
After enjoying the majestic animals and views of Chiang Rai, we made our way to Siem Reap, Cambodia. The night we arrived we popped some champagne over the hills of outer Angkor temples and watched the sun set. From there, we made our way into town and dined at one of the city’s most famous Khmer restaurants (Spoiler alert, it was delicious).
The next day, we took in Angkor’s signature sites: Angkor Thom, Bayon and the jungly, and the breathtaking overgrown Tha Phrom.
After visiting Cambodia, we made our way back to Thailand, this time South, to Krabi, where we stayed at the picturesque Rayavadee Resort. Beautiful beaches, lush greenery, and exotic animals – it was like something out of a story book (in fact, upon arrival I almost stepped on a GIANT lizard that resembled a Komodo dragon – it was terrifying Ha!). Lucky for us that was the only time I saw one, and then ended up seeing the most adorable monkeys, and their babies, right outside our bathroom window!
I would highly recommend dining at The Grotto – it’s literally a restaurant in a cave along the beach. The food, the ambiance and the sunset are something I’ll never forget.
Our last stop was probably the most special (as they say, we saved the best for last). We stayed on the island of Yao Noi at the Six Senses, which had some of the most breathtaking views of the iconic limestone pinnacles rising from the waters of Phang Nga Bay.
We ate copious amounts of ice cream (they made it homemade and fresh daily in a MILLION flavours!!!!), drank delicious cocktails, enjoyed the views, and experienced some of the most awe-inspiring snorkeling of our lives. We even swam with sharks! It was absolutely incredible. Something I’ll never forget.
Two and a half weeks later, we were back home (and back to reality). But I can honestly say that it was a life-changing experience, for both of us.
Our trip to South East Asia opened my eyes to a part of the world that I wasn’t sure I would ever see. From that moment, Corey and I made a pact that every year, we would check off a part of the world that we would love to see. And so, here I am, writing about my journeys, in hopes that it will inspire you to start your dream destination list, and more importantly, to start crossing them off that list.
